Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sealant composition comprising a selected blend of powdered granular or pelletized polyethylenes and copolymers thereof having specific melt indices and molecular weights. The composition is optionally compounded with powdered copolymers of ethylene/propylene and/or ethylene/vinyl acetate as well as selected fillers, antioxidants and stabilizers. The composition may be compression, extrusion or injection molded into a sealant, e.g., in the form of a linear sheet conforming to a pipe surface, into solid rods for spin frictional fusion or into a coating for steel and wire surfaces. The sealant or thermochemical repair material of the invention is suitable for repairing and/or reinforcing surfaces such as those of polyethylene pipes, and fittings, and for the production and repair of plastic membranes such as those used on liners in landfill operations and the like. The composition is also adaptable for use as a coating for metalic and non-metalic surfaces. When in the form of a sheet, the sealant or thermochemical repair material may be applied to a portion of a surface to be repaired, and the area of contact between the sealant or thermochemical repair material and the surface then heated at a specified temperature to produce thermal fusion therebetween, and then cooled. This invention also relates to a polyethylene surface repair or reinforcing kit that comprises the sealant of the invention, a thin, heat-resistant, adhesion-resistant barrier and a polyethylene surface cleaner. Also part of this invention is a method of preparing the sealant of the invention by blending its components and then extrusion, compression or injection molding the blend to form the sealant.